It is necessary to measure the body temperature when one is under the attack of fever. There are four portions of the body whose temperatures are measured: mouth, armpit, anus, and eardrum. Generally, mouth temperature or armpit temperature is measured for adults, while anus temperature or eardrum temperature is measured for infants. Eardrum temperature and anus temperature are close to the central temperature of the body, and are more stable than armpit temperature and mouth temperature. Moreover, it is easier to measure eardrum temperature and anus temperature.
Using an ear thermometer to measure eardrum temperature is a common way of measuring the body temperature nowadays. Because earwax easily accumulates on a probe of the ear thermometer after a long time of use, infection due to disease germs may occur between users. Therefore, it is necessary to replace a new probe cover after each time of use.
For a common ear thermometer, it is necessary to take a probe cover with hands and then slip the probe cover onto a probe thereof. Therefore, the problems of contamination of probe cover and infection due to disease germs may easily occur. In order to prevent hands from touching a probe cover, U.S. Pat. No. 4,993,424 discloses an infrared body temperature measurement device, wherein a probe cover storage room and a conveyance device are disposed in an ear thermometer (i.e., the infrared body temperature measurement device) so as to directly install probe covers into the ear thermometer and then to convey them to the head. When a probe retracts into the head, a probe cover can directly cover the probe. However, the disclosed infrared body temperature measurement device has a very complex structure, a larger volume, and an expensive price that common customers cannot afford.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,100,018 discloses a probe cover dispenser. As shown in FIG. 1, a probe cover dispenser 10 comprises a main body 12. A probe cover storage room 14 for stacking of probe covers and a probe cover baffle 16 for controlling downward conveyance of probe covers are disposed at the lower portion of the main body 10. A pressing plate 18 and a spring 20 for adjusting the pressing plate 18 are matched at the upper side of the probe cover storage room 14. A slide plate seat 22 is disposed at the lower side of the probe cover storage room 14. A probe cover retaining groove 24 capable of receiving a probe cover is disposed on the slide plate seat 22. The slide plate seat 22 is pushed toward the main body 12 to drive the probe cover baffle 16 so that the probe cover retaining groove 24 can slide down to be exactly below the probe cover storage room 14 to receive a probe cover. Next, the slide plate seat 22 is pulled out so that a probe of an ear thermometer can probed into the probe cover in the probe cover retaining groove 24. However, this probe cover dispenser has a very complex structure and an expensive price that common people cannot afford.
Accordingly, in consideration of the above problems, the present invention aims to propose a probe cover dispenser, which adopts a simple structure to automatically send out probe covers.